1951 saw the birth of what many believe is the best guitar from Gretsch: the Country Club series. The Country Club was a big, 17" box whose parents were the 6030 and 6031 Synchromatic's. Its grandfather was the "cat eye" Synchromatic 300. This guitar was seen during the day as possibly the best jazz instrument around. The specs on the early Country Clubs were little bit lacking, like the plastic control knobs, but Gretsch made it through those early days well enough to make some modifications that really sent the Country Club into orbit.
From 1951 to 1954 the Country Club was one of only two guitars in the Gretsch stable to utilize a spruce top; the other was the White Falcon. DeArmond pickups were the original choice, accompanied by a Synchromatic tailpiece, maple neck, rosewood fretboard, and classic Gretsch block inlays. Finish options included sunburst or blond, and the headstock included "Electromantic" scrawled across its length.
In 1955 the Country Club underwent a long list of wholesale changes that clearly ranked as improvements. The first thing to go was the Synchromatic tailpiece which was replaced with the Gretsch "G-cutout". A few new colors were added including gray and Cadillac Green\; the latter eventually becoming the standard color as the Country Club evolved. In 1958 the DeArmonds pickups were dropped in favor of Hi-Lo Trons, the plastic knobs were replaced with metal, and the tone knob was replaced with a selector switch.
From there the Country Club remain largely untouched until the early 1970s. At that point in underwent a second restyling which lasted into the early 80s. A third style was adopted then, and continues being manufactured even today. Sometimes you'll find modern Country Clubs referred to as Electromatics or Synchromatics, but you can tell if it's a Country Club by checking the model number.
Shopping Results for: Gretsch Country Club Archtop Electric
The G6196TSP-2G Country Club is a bound single-cutaway hollow body model with a gorgeous smoky gray arched spruce top and metallic violet laminated maple back and sides. Vintage-style parallel tone bar bracing and sound post help produce rich, dynamic tone...
The G6196TSP-BY Country Club is a bound single-cutaway hollow body model with a gorgeous bamboo yellow arched spruce top and copper mist laminated maple back and sides. Vintage-style parallel tone bar bracing and sound post help produce rich, dynamic tone...
Additional Resources for Gretsch Country Club
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